Tribe places Hannahan on DL with calf injury

By Justin Albers / MLB.com

CLEVELAND -- Jack Hannahan just can't seem to catch a break.

The Indians third baseman was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday afternoon with a strained left calf, only two days after he returned from a nagging back injury. Hannahan missed 11 straight games before Saturday because of the back, and he said overcompensating for the injury caused him to hurt the calf.

"It wasn't one situation," Hannahan said. "I just woke up with some discomfort [in the calf] Friday, tried to loosen it up. After Saturday, it bruised up. It was pretty painful."

Indians manager Manny Acta said he was unaware of Hannahan's calf injury before putting him in the lineup Saturday.

"He was ready to play," Acta said. "We had no idea that he was hurt before the game. It's mind boggling that it's a different injury."

Hannahan said both the calf and back were feeling better early Monday. He's hitting .276 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in 31 games this season.

"I guess the only positive of going on the DL," Hannahan said, "is I can get everything right and come back and finished where I left off."

Chisenhall called up, feels prepared

CLEVELAND -- Lonnie Chisenhall has been to the big leagues before. The third baseman got called up and spent 66 games with the Indians in the middle of the 2011 season.

So when he got the call a second time Monday morning, Chisenhall was ready.

"I wasn't quite as panicked [this time]," he said. "The travel was a little bit easier. I didn't have to go across the country. It's definitely a little more laid back [the second time]."

Chisenhall was recalled from AAA Columbus where he was hitting .324 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 28 games. He spent time on the Minor League DL from April 29 to May 18 with a strained left calf, but was hitting .318 with five RBIs in six games since he returned.

Chisenhall wasted little time adjusting to the big leagues. He got the start as the Indians designated hitter in Monday's 8-5 win against the Royals, and he hit a solo home run in his first at-bat of the game. Chisenhall crushed a 1-1 pitch to the visitor's bullpen down the right-field line to get Cleveland on the board.

"I feel good in the box now," he said after the game. "I faced a few guys out of their bullpen last year, so I was comfortable with their pitching staff."

Chisenhall will take the spot of third baseman Jack Hannahan, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf on Monday.

"It's never good to have your team beat up," Chisenhall said, "but any way you can get up here, you gotta figure out how to help the team, you gotta fight through those injuries and do what you can to win.

"I know there's a lot of injuries and guys are gonna need to come back at some point, but I'm not really looking at that."

Indians manager Manny Acta plans to use Chisenhall mainly at third base, but occasionally as the designated hitter. Chisenhall was in the lineup at DH and batted seventh Monday afternoon against the Royals.

"I'll find at-bats for him," Acta said. "He's going to play. Right now, with the way our lineup is, he can make some contributions."

Damon hopes big game ends recent slump

CLEVELAND -- His numbers don't show it, but Indians outfielder Johnny Damon has hit the ball much harder over the last couple of weeks.

Damon lifted several pitches to the warning track during the team's last homestand, but none of them left the park. He's hitting just .158 this season.

Sometimes Damon wonders how many home runs he would have if he still played his home games at Yankee Stadium.

"I'm always thinking about that," Damon said, smiling. "You never like to miss a ball by a foot or two feet because you think of so many different things -- if you were using a maple bat, if you were just a bit quicker, if the wind wasn't blowing. You think about all those things."

Damon finally recorded his first home run of the season Sunday against the White Sox, a three-run shot off Gavin Floyd. For the first time since Sept. 30, 2011, Damon didn't have to wonder what could have been if he had hit it just a little bit harder.

Smoke signals

 Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner was out of the lineup for the fifth consecutive day Monday (knee). Hafner hit in the batting cage and ran on an anti-gravity treadmill Monday morning, and manager Manny Acta said he would have more details after Hafner's 3 p.m. doctor appointment.

 Catcher Lou Marson was also out of the lineup Monday after being hit in the mouth with a pitch Sunday against the White Sox. Marson received three stitches for the injury. "Probably one day will do him good," Acta said.

 Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who left Saturday's game against Chicago with a tight hamstring, is unlikely to return to the lineup on Tuesday, but Acta said, "He's pretty close."

 Catcher Carlos Santana, who is on the seven-day concussion list after taking a foul ball off the mask on Saturday, underwent some neurological tests Monday morning. Acta said the team was still waiting for the results of those tests.

Quote to note
"We're going to go out and play hard and hopefully pay homage to all the veterans."
--Indians outfielder Johnny Damon on playing on Memorial Day.

Justin Albers is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.